Final Cut:Music Video

Anicliarry task one: Digipak

Album Cover

Inside Front

Inside back

CD design

Back Cover

Ancillary Task two: Magazine advert.

Evaluation:In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

We decided to use forms and conventions of existing metal music videos when creating our own so that the audience can instantly recognise it as such. We used mainly a performance based narrative as this fits with the artist being focused on the music, and the fact that they actually play their own instruments.

We used the conventions of setting our music video in a wood as this is quite common in metal music videos such as Miss May I-Masses of a Dying Breed

We also used strobe lights as a way of using conventions, another video that does this is Bullet for my Valentine-Riot. This reflects the aggressive nature of the music and makes the video appear faster paced.

We dressed our actors mainly in black and they wore t-shirts and jumpers with other bands logos on them as we found this was a common convention used in music videos of the heavy metal genre. This can be seen in Papa Roach- Where did the Angles go

Goodwins theories:

A particular music genre may have their own music video style and iconography (such as a live stage performance in heavy rock)

We applied this by having a largely performance based video, however we set it in a car park which had harsh florescent lights as we thought this went with the ‘end of the world’ theme.

There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close-ups of the main artist.

We did use this, such as for the close up on the vocalists face but we also used close ups of the instruments such as the hand as they play guitar as this means that although we are marketing them we are also focused on the music and not their appearance. 

Evaluation:How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Prezi answering question 2

Evaluation:What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

To conduct audience feedback we used the website Survey Monkey to create a survey for people to answer after they've watched our music video and we also filmed people watching our video and talking through what they did and didn't like.  

             

From our research we have found that a majority of people who listen to music like Rock/Punk/Metal understood our video and generally they liked it, giving it an average rating of four. Whilst people who prefer pop/indie/chart music said they didn't really ‘get’ the video and gave it an average rating of 3.5. I think this shows that we have produced an effective video as our target market seem to like it and although pop listeners may not have thought so highly of the video I think this is to be expected.

Our video was watched by a vast range of different people and we collected data from people aged 16-53. Although we had targeted our video at teenagers we were not overly specific and we hoped that people of all ages would enjoy it. I think this is definitely reflected in our feedback as nobody has said it was too mature/immature for them. Metal music is obviously listened to by people of all ages and we wanted to make sure that we recognized this in our video, whilst making sure that it appealed to teenagers.

We've also learnt that a majority of our own thoughts and feelings about the video are reflected in our audience feedback. People have said that they enjoyed how our video circled back by using the same opening and closing shot, that they liked the fast paced editing and the strobe lighting whilst raising issues about our blocking of the band and the lack of a story narrative. However we learnt that people really liked the scenes shot in the wood which was something I had not thought would be a favourite bit.

Overall people rated our video as 3.8 which is very good and I am pleased with this.

Audience feedback-1

Audience Feedback-2

Audience Feedback-3

Screen shots from the replies to our survey.

Evaluation: How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Social Media

This video shows how we used democratic, web 2.0, social media during all stages of production to help us. We found the artist through Facebook and then went on to contact them and acquire copyright for the song.  In the evaluation stages we used Facebook as a platform to advertise our product and to try and gain some audience feedback.

For our audience feedback we used Survey Monkey to create a survey with relevant questions, this was a lot easier than it would have been in the past because there was no need to print out many copies of the survey and physically hand them to people for them to complete. As we were able to post this link online it meant we could access a wider demographic of people. This was good as we wanted to get as much feedback from as many different types of people as possible.

Coming back to Facebook we were also able to access their band profile on Reverbnation through their page and so we could listen to all their songs and decide which we should make a video for.

We used YouTube in the research and planning stages to look up similar bands and watch their music videos to try and gain an understanding of codes and conventions. We also then used it to upload our finished product so that it was easily found by our audience.  We again used YouTube in our evaluation to upload the various videos we had created.

As well as this we used Blogger throughout the whole process to keep a documented account of all the work we were doing and as a place to share our products. This was good as Blogger allows the user to post a range of multimedia such as images, video and hyperlinks which kept our blog interesting and expanded upon our writing to give a visual element. It also meant that we could receive feedback via comments from anyone who had accessed our blog through google or other means.

When filming we used a Cannon legria HV40 video camera. This records high quality images which was essential for some of our shots. We used the focus button a lot during filming so that the foreground was in focus whilst blurring the background as we thought this made it look a lot more dramatic as the detail was clean and clear. We recorded all our footage onto a tape which we could then import later using a firewire.

We used an Apple Mac equipped with the industry standard editing software Final Cut Pro to do our editing. This meant we were able to make our video look as professional as possible by using effects such as colour enhancements, strobe lighting and transitions like dip to colour dissolve for the montage at the start of the song. We were also able to add the bands details at the start and end of the song as well as the Scuzz logo to the top left corner which made it look professional.

In reference to audio we bought and downloaded the song of iTunes and we were then able to import this into Final Cut pro. We used audio software Audacity to cut the end of the song as we just felt that the instrumental went on for a bit long and that our video would be more dramatic if we didn’t draw it out to much.

For the Digipak and magazine advert we used photoshop to edit the drawn pictures and to add text over the top. Although, as it was hand drawn, we did not use it an overt amount.

For the evaluation we also used online presentation device Prezi to make an interesting and interactive presentation that answers question two.

Main Task: Reflecting on our first cut.

After reviewing our music video we have realised that in some parts of it our variety of shot distances and angles were not appropriate.
For example at 0:14 these is a shot of the guitarist strumming one not on his guitar, this is the first shot the audience will see of the band and there are a few things that could be improved. As we have used Final Cut Pro to zoom in on this shot in post-production the shotis more blurry and grainy than other, non zoomed in on, shots and it takes away from the overall effect. We also originally shot in straight on and this does not make it look very dramatic. When we reshoot we will use a lower angle to make the subject appear more powerful. This is also true of the whole band shots at 0:17, 0:23, 0:53, 1:00, 1:04, 1:13, 1:17, 1:37 and 2:06. At 0:39 the angle is okay, however it has been zoomed in on in post production and this makes it too blurry.
By reshooting these shots we can make the music video more professional as a convention of metal music videos is to make the band look big and powerful, which will be accomplished by changing some of the angles we have used.

Another aspect we have chosen to focus on is framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate.
We filmed in  a car park as there was one part of it with stone walls and harsh lighting, which we thought would look good for our music video idea but as we filmed here it was hard to keep cars from the shot as we were surrounded by them due to the fact that we were filming at peak time and it was busier than it was when we first went location scouting. We do not want cars in shot as we think this makes it look low-budget and the cars do not fit with the rest of the music video.
So, at 0:49, 1:25 and 1:28 we have to reshoot to make sure these cars are not included. Also at 1:06 there is a reflection of the cars in the bass drum, which is not as obvious as the other shots but ideally we would still refilm this as it is these small details that will make our video look professional.

In post production we also need to work on our mise-en-scene including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting. The main thing we need to focus on is the lighting.
Due to filming at different times the lighting changes between shots and this makes it look jarring and draw the eye to the inaccuracies in colour instead of the shot itself, such as from 0:32-0:33 and 0:51-0:52. To change this we will edit it using final cut pro. We will do this by using the colour corrector wheel and finding a suitable lighting level for all the shots, we will then transfer this over  to all the performance aspects of the video so that all shots have the same lighting and colour tones. This will improve on the flow of the video and stop it from looking so displaced.

We also feel that we could improve using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set.
This is because our song is heavy metal/metalcore and so there are certain expectations from the audience and the conventions of this genre are quite rigorous. Some of our shots, such as at 2:33 where there is a mushroom in harsh lighting and at 2:34, a teddy bear, don’t really match these conventions and expectations.
Whilst originally we used these shots as we thought they would add to the narrative we can now see that with the whole music video put together they do not match up with the rest of the mise-en-scene and this makes the audience confused and ask the wrong kind of questions.  As they disrupt from the flow of the video we have decided to simply remove them. But to do this we must make sure we film more scenes to replace them.

Using a varied shot transitions, captions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set is something that overall we have done quite well. On the other hand we could still improve upon our music video by using these better.
For example at 1:38 we use the effect ‘blink’ to create an almost strobe light effect on the video and we have decided to cut down on our use of this and remove it from 2:05 onwards as we thought it was a bit too disorientating and took away focus from the actual shots we were using.
We have also decided to us the captions at the start/end over the music video saying the band name, name of the song and distributer as this will make it look more professional and will hopefully improve the viewing for the audience.

First cut music video!

 

This is our first cut of our music video.

Main Task: Filming log.

Today we re-filmed our scenes shot in the wood location and I feel like this went very well.

The lighting today was a lot better than it had been previously as there was a lot more sun which meant the camera could pick up on more intricate details. As we are going to be darkening all the shots to make it seem scarier anyway, it does not really matter about the actual sunlight however having it just means that when we do darken the shots it wont be grainy and unfocused.

The problem that this presents is that it may be difficult to match the wood scenes we have just filmed with the old ones, as some may be of a different quality, and this may ruin the continuity of the shots, which is really something we need to avoid.

To combat this we could put all of the wood scenes in black and white, or sepia. As well as being practical this could also enhance our video as both black and white and sepia connotes a different time period, or something a bit surreal and this would work with our apocalypse theme.

Ancillary Task: Digipak-Band Photo

One of our ideas for our Digipak includes a picture of the band. We have decided that we don't want to use a picture of the band for the front cover of the album as we feel this does not really fit in with the genre of music. Although some metal bands do use a photo of themselves it is a more common marketing technique for popular artists as these artists are more generally image focused than metal/heavy rock bands. We instead think we may use a photo of the band for the inside cover as this is quite common for our genre as it still markets them as a band but suggests they are less concious of their image.

To make sure that our photo fits in with the conventions of our genre we have looked at a variety of photos from other bands in the same genre although all slightly different sub-genres.

Lamb of God- Heavy Metal/ New-wave metal.

Lamb of God are a semi-recent band, starting in the 1990s and are mostly known as heavy metal or New wave heavy metal due to their influences from punk rock and hardcore. Known by their 'European-style riffing and throaty vocals.' and are also part of the movement said to be 'bringing heavy metal back into the mainstream.' Other bands like them are Slipknot, Pantera and Machine Head.
They are a good band for us to look at as they have a huge fan base and are a highly thought of heavy metal band, meaning their marketing and branding must be very good at capturing an audience and interesting the target market. They are a similar band to Ravenface and this deconstruction of one of their photos will help when we set up our own shoot.

AC/DC- Hard rock/ classic rock/ heavy metal.

AC/DC are a hard band to put into a genre and have been called many different things but the band describe themselves as 'simply rock and roll.' They are an older band, starting out in the early 1970's but they are still one of the most relevant 'alternative' bands around. Famous for their power chord songs and catchy choruses as well as Angus Young's guitar solos they are one of the highest grossing bands ever. Other bands like them are Metallica, Iron Maiden and Led Zepplin.
As they are one of the oldest metal band to still be going strong today they are a good band to look at as they have been the inspiration for many modern bands and we could perhaps hint to this in our marketing and branding.

Bring me the Horizon- Metalcore/screamo

BMTH are a recent band, formed in 2004. This band are known by their image, which is quite 'emo' and their vocalist, Oli Sykes is considered a 'poster boy for heavy metal.' What is notable about them is that they mix having an attractive image and sex appeal, much like many boy bands and pop artists, with very heavy music. This is interesting as often in heavy metal the band do not focus as much on their image, like their clothes and hair whereas Sykes is known for his heavily fringed hairstyle and own clothing brand.
This makes them a very interesting band for us to look at as they have achieved mainstream popularity by mixing up their image and they have been branded very well indeed. It also makes sense to look at them as they are very recent for today's market. Other bands like them are Aiden, The Devil Wears Parda and As I lay dying.

Black Veil Brides-Rock/PostHardcore/Emo

Black Veil Brides are another recent band, formed in 2006, and they too have an interesting image. Whilst their music is quite often associated with emo and screamo they have an image highly influenced by the glam rock movement, which is quite uncommon in recent times. However they have proved to be very popular even though their image does not quite correspond with their music, a lot like BMTH.  They are famous for their anti-bullying lyrics and for promoting awareness for self harm and depression in teens, which could be why they are so often referred to as 'emo.' Other bands like them are Escape the Fate, Bless the Fall and Falling in Reverse.
They are a good band to look at as their image is unconventional and it will be good for us to see what could work with RavenFace as well, such as the theatrical use of make up.

Main Task: Story Narrative

We have decided to expand on our story narrative within our music video as at the moment it is quite ambiguous as the only clues the audience get is that the band are running away from something through a wood. We have developed our narrative by using old objects such as, a photo in a photo frame that's been smashed, an old pocket watch and a teddy bear, and having the band run past these objects as they lay in the wood.

This gives it a much more recognisable feel of an apocalypse as it is more obvious that something has happened which lead to all these items being scattered around a wood. I also feel that it gives it a much more creepy feel, especially the teddy bear as this normally has connotations of childhood and innocence but as it is dirty and left abandoned in a wood it becomes quite scary.

I think using these objects will give our music video another level and will make it more interesting for the audience as they will now be asking questions about these objects and it will make them more engaged in the video and they are therefore less likely to switch the video off.

Ancillary Task-Digipak: Planning.

As we can't film until the 29th in lessons we have decided to concentrate on our ancillary tasks and have chosen to focus on the digipak first. We have discussed what sort of themes should be explored in our digipak as this will effect what images we use for it. We also looked at some other digipaks online to see what they look like. After thinking of images we thought of content, a lot of digipaks include things like, lyrics from all the songs on the albums, extra photos, thanks from the band, description of the band and things along those lines. We are still not one hundred percent certain on how many of these things, if any at all, we should include but have done some research into it.

Our ideas

Nine Inch Nails Digipak

Main task: Re-filming.

We now have conformation of when we are next filming.

Thursday 29th November- Performance shots.

Saturday 1st December- wood shots.

We are hoping this will be the last time we have to shoot as we have prepared ourselves well so that we know exactly what we have to shoot. 

We also have remembered that we need to make sure the actors wear the same clothes that they did before to make sure there are no continuity errors and so we watched all our footage in lesson and wrote down what they were all wearing to avoid this happening. 

Main Task: Editing

We have now edited a lot of our footage to our song and it has started to look quite good, however it has become apparent that we still need to film more footage as we have some gaps in our timeline where we need new footage. As well as new footage we also need to re-film some shots as although we like the concept of them, the actual shot is slightly out of focus or just isn't quite right. So to combat this we watched our video all the way through last lesson and made a shot list of all the things we need top film. We also contacted our actors to find out when the can film next and we should have our filming schedule soon.

New Shot List
Re-film establishing shot of wood
Film solitary note being played by guitar at start
Re-film vocalist jumping over camera-get the jump in middle of shot
Replace birds eye view shot of band with a better angle x2-creates more enigma
Re-film drum shots- make sure we can sync visuals to audio
Replace band helping guitarist up when he falls- doesn't fit in with genre
Re-film band siking up- make acting believable
Re-film last slow-motion shot of band running away
Film more close ups and mid shots of instruments
Film vocalist singing into camera-close ups
Film guitar battle
Film more close ups in the wood.

Main Task: Editing.

We have now uploaded all footage from both shoots, the car park and wood scenes, and started editing it. Throughout the editing process we have been using a variety of different effects on Final Cut Pro, such as:

• Colour correcter- We have been using the three wheel colour correcter to edit the lighting in our shots, both wood and car park. We are using this effect to dim the shots as they look a bit bright and this is making them appear too happy, which does not fit with the dark and brooding atmosphere we wanted to create. So far we have edited the highlights down to 214, the blacks to 88 and whites down to -12 and this has made them look a lot more gloomy which fits the stereotypical atmosphere in our genre music videos.

• Strobes and Blink- We have decided that we don't want to use the strobe effect that we learnt earlier throughout all of the performance shots as this can get a bit off putting and would draw attention away from our shots and just make people focus on the flashing. For this reason we have only started applying it to certain shots within the breakdown of the song. As well as strobes we have used Blink on its own, which means the shot flashes black and this is also quite effective. The only thing hard about using these effects is changing the speed so that it goes right with the tempo.

• Motion, Scale- We have also used scale to zoom in on our shots on Final Cut Pro and this means that we can cut into certain parts of the shot quickly, without having to film the close-ups separately, which could lead to some continuity errors. Whilst this is good, for extreme close ups we will have to film these separately as the quality of the shots goes down the more we zoom in and we don't want any shots to look unfocused and grainy as this makes them appear more ammature. 

• Speed- We have also been changing some shots to half-speed, such as the opening shot of water dripping. This is because it makes the shot a lot more effective as it makes it seem more dramatic and it means the ripples of the water are easier to see and this corresponds with the pace of the beginning of the song, as it is a lot slower at the start. 

Main Task:Filming Log

Yesterday we went out to our location, a car park, to film the performance aspect of our music video. We had to bring all the instruments with us, including a drum kit, two guitars, and a microphone, as well as amps.
When we first got there the car park was quite busy so we decided to start setting up outside and see how well we could film there, however soon it got dark and people started leaving the car park so we could film in there like we originally planned. Whilst we got some good footage outside that we may be able to use, the majority will be from inside the car park.

I think that the filming went very well although we will probably need to re-film another day so that we get the best possible shots we can, this is because it started getting quite late and it was hard to keep the energy necessary for performance shots up as it got later and people got tired. However we got lots of good footage that we can start editing tomorrow.

Research&Planning: Final Storyboard

This is our finished storyboard, complete with timings, pictures and annotations.

Research&Planning: Current Animatic.

Recently I have been experimenting with a new software which makes its easier to create animatics as it helps with drawing and stop motion.

As we haven't finished our storyboard quite yet I only have 40seconds of animatic at the moment but I hope to make one for the whole song.

Research&Planning: Post-Production experimentation.

In class today we decided to experiment with the different effects that final cut pro let us add to our footage. We wanted to find out how to make the scene appear darker, like it was filmed later in the day or on a more overcast day as the test footage that we have at the moment was filmed on quite a sunny day. To do this we played around with the effects until we found how to change the saturation and this is what we used to change the lighting of a shot.

After doing this successfully we thought we should try to see if we edit on a strobe lighting effect on in post-production as at the moment we only own a few small strobe lights and we thought these might look a little weak for the shots we want to achieve. Also we have heard that when filming with strobe lights the after effect cannot look great due to the camera not being able to pick up details with the constantly changing lights.  So with this in mind we found a really good YouTube tutorial which explained how this could be done, we then attempted it ourselves.

At first it was quite tricky as we weren’t sure what all of the different colour levels did and how far to adjust them to create the best look for our footage however after a lot of playing around with the controls I feel we managed to get a really good effect.  

To make a strobe light effect on final cut pro we first chose the footage we wanted, then duplicated it, placing one lot of footage over the other by layering it. Then we altered the top layer by making the white level higher which made the scene brighter, we also changed the saturation and mid tones slightly so that it didn’t go grainy. Then we changed the second layer in the opposite way, making the black more prominent which creates the effect it was filmed in the dark. After this we used the video transition effect Blink which means the video alternates between light and dark, as if it were filmed with strobes. The final thing we did was change the speed of the transition so that it moved quicker so that it looked more effective.

The video tutorial we watched

 

Our attempt at strobes.